Posted on 12/12/2013 7:47:37 PM PST by neverdem
Even as their political prospects brighten for 2014, Republicans are at odds with each other.
Glen Bolger, one of the Republican party's leading pollsters, told the Washington Post today that the Republican party needs to stop being the "dysfunctional equivalent of the Washington Redskins."
If anything, Bolger was being too generous. The ongoing Republican soap opera between the so-called establishment and the emboldened conservative grassroots is even more chaotic than the latest drama between Mike Shanahan, Dan Snyder and RG3.
Consider: Paul Ryan, the leading voice of fiscal conservatism in Congress, is getting pilloried by his own colleagues for acquiescing to a budget compromise that avoids the prospect of a politically-suicidal government shutdown next year. House Speaker John Boehner sounded downright exasperated today in reacting to conservative opposition to the deal, calling it "ridiculous." But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, already under fire from conservative groups for his propensity for deal-making, is reportedly against the budget compromise. McConnell's been joined in opposition by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, two of the upper chamber's most high-profile Republicans.
The Republican party rarely misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Even conservative groups are fighting with each other. The Republican Study Committee Chairman fired its longtime executive director, out of concern he was leaking confidential conversations to conservative groups hostile to Republican interests. They're at odds with each other over political strategy, with the Club for Growth keeping its powder dry, while the Senate Conservatives Fund is eagerly looking for opportunities to challenge sitting Republican senators who are ideologically unkosher.
And that's not including today's disturbing allegation that Ryan Loskarn, the chief of staff to Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander was placed on leave amid allegations involving child pornography.
The Republican party rarely misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity. With several new national polls showing the GOP ahead on the generic ballot for the first time in years and Democrats self-immolating over their troubled health care law, Republicans are in terrific position to capitalize. That was the political logic behind the Ryan budget compromise – delay a messy fiscal fight until after the 2014 midterms, which are shaping up to be favorable for Republicans. Retake the Senate, and suddenly the party holds a lot more leverage over future fiscal fights.
But for those who have followed the ongoing battles between Republican leadership and the conservative back-benchers, it's never easy. Ryan argued, at his press briefing with Patty Murray Wednesday, that Republicans can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. To conservatives, the compromise that was struck isn't even close to being good.
The dysfunction is here to stay, whether Republicans like it or not.
"[The Republican establishment] is not following through what they promised, and they don't realize how hostile they are to the grassroots," said Senate Conservative Fund executive director Matt Hoskins. "This is the type of stuff that sends a message to voters that their leaders in Washington don't like them, and they don't represent them."
Until now, Republicans have usually acquiesced to its confrontationally conservative wing on some of the big fights – shutting down the government over Obamacare funding, rejecting tactical maneuvers to gain leverage on fiscal cliff negotiations. But there are signs that the establishment is now eager to fight back. McConnell has declared war against his chief conservative nemesis, the Senate Conservatives Fund, blacklisting consultants and candidates doing business with the group. The Chamber of Commerce is now willing to involve itself in primaries, already spending six-figures in an Alabama Congressional runoff between an establishment Republican and a grassroots conservative. Even Boehner, who has been criticized for bowing to his right flank, hit back at them today, saying opponents of the budget deal were "using our members and… using the American people for their own goals."
Many Republicans believe counter-attacks by the establishment is exactly the formula for unifying the party. It's time for more sticks than carrots, the thinking goes. But that ignores the fact that conservative voters are driving the rise of outside groups, not the other way around. These are the voters who hated the bank bailouts, resent campaign committee involvement in Republican primaries, and think politicians are too quick to "go Washington" when elected, enjoying the perks of power over the principles of politics.
These tea party voters aren't going away, and are the driving force behind the conservative opposition. That's why seven of the 12 Republican senators on a ballot next year face primary challenges, even if most aren't all-that-credible.
That means the dysfunction is here to stay, whether Republicans like it or not. It means the party will continue to look like an unruly mess for the foreseeable future, mostly being held together by their shared opposition to President Obama.
When this war is over, the Republican party better be more Conservative, or this nation is done.
To that end, I say war on Garth!
They’re going after RNC committeeman Dave Agema (MI) as well. He was elected to the RNC by a coalition of tea partiers, GOP conservatives and libertarians.
Click the last link in the posted article.
Take your meds first.
Vote out the RINOs in 2014!
What better time to have the fight? The election isn’t for a year from now.
Or the GOP is.
This right here:
The Republican party rarely misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Really says it all. For example, why isn’t the GOP preaching the gospel of capitalism to the immigrants who came here for the opportunity to work? Why isn’t the GOP generating massive cognitive dissonance over the fact that many immigrants are devout Catholics, yet seem to vote for Democrats who believe it’s ok to kill babies in the womb? Where are the GOP ads and financial support for candidates who stand for the traditional values of the Republican party?
I say again:
The Republican party rarely misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
The gop will not support one candidate who beats an incumbent in a primary. They’d rather remain the minority with their good friends, the democrats.
Shouldn't that be Washington Generals?
No thanks. No sale.
They rely on the Fed's game of "repression", simultaneously and artificially holding retail interest rates down while secretly feeding liquidity and price inflation, to annihilate debt on the sly and transfer savings to Congressional deficit spending.
Not too long from now, international foreign-exchange and debt markets are going to trump the Fed's ace and bring the game to a crashing halt. Then the constituents of these slick, sleek GOP-e pols and Fed men will count their cost, to their rue, in true coin, and then we will see the errors of our ways.
Yeah -- lol. Then the air will be thick with treacly pleas for "party unity" (we cut and gouge and insult you -- and you take it).
Cultural divide: the Blue Ridge. It's why Eastern Republicans call the middle 75% of America "flyover country" and write ugly things about Sarah Palin in Commentary's January 2010 online issue (and see the reader comments .... they're loaded with ricin and dipped in nitric acid).
See also David Frum's blog comments on the Commentary article, and further comments elsewhere online by "Pareena" about both articles and their readers' comments. A river of poison, like something out of Ghostbusters II.
My husband heard Ryan on Mark Levin last night, and Ryan seemed surprised that his deal was not met with open arms. Does he think that because he was once our blue-eyed boy, that he will remain that way when he turns traitor.
I heard on Hannity that Bohner feels safe in his position and that when he told others it was Ryan’s deal, everyone fell in line, because they respect Ryan, the Math genius, or boy wonder.
Absolutely! We have the best values system. Our side doesn’t try to sell them. Why?
We keep coming up short on the liberal give-aways, and the next election we do it all over again.
We should have modeled ourselves somewhat after Ross Perot. Stick to the facts. Tell our story. Make it as clear as you can, and appeal to the better nature of people.
Instead we keep trotting out John McCain in some form or another. It’s nauseating.
I’m seeing something quite different.. The infighting has given the squishy middle something to worry about, and slight movement to the right, if only out of fear..
I want them to get their squabbles out of the way now, and settle things in the primaries.. With a year until the midterms, we will need unity to carry the fight to the Dems..
I’m glad Mark called this POS budget what it is. He had Glenn Beck on his show, tonight - great discussion - they both slammed Ryan and Boehner....especially Bonehead.
F both parties to tears then. (Hopefully) Sooner than later the GOP is gone. Then it is Democrat hunting season. The GOP sold their soul to remain in DC; well, bye.
Thank-you Jane. We get Mark at night. I’m going to listen now.
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